Combined heel and arch support



MW. 23', 192 1,607,867 I F. HJCHASE v COMBINED HEEL AND ARCH SUPPORT Filed Oct. 10. 1922 p shank of the shoe,

Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

"FRANK H. CHASE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA; PHILIP R. CHASE E XECUTORI OF SAID FRANK H. CHASE, DECEASED.

COMBINED'HEEL AND ARCH SUPPORT.

Application filed October 10, 1922. striai No. 593,547.

My invention relates to footwear, my purpo:e being to provide a combined heel and arch support for sustaining the arch of the wearers foot and cushioning his heel. 5 aim to afiord scientifically correct support for the foot under all conditions,-whether the arc-hes are fallen or not,--while preferably permitting free movement of the foot; to preserve the original curvature of the and thus keep the shoe in proper shape; and to obviate risk of tripping from catching of the arch support on inequalities of the walking surface. The embodiment. of my invention herein described comprises a relatively soft, pliable unitary: device that correctly supports the arch directly from the ground,- and continues to do so as the device wears down in service, and is characterized by the full 29 universal flexibility and elasticity of one single piece of rubber. The invention also relates to certain details, which will be fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my'improved combined heel and arch support.

Fig.2 is an'inverted perspective view of the same. I Fig. 3 is a side view.- Fig. i is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 5 is a'tran'sverse sectional view on the line 5-5, Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a side view showing the heel and arch support attached to a shoe.

Fig. 7 is an inverted plan view of the heel and arch support attached to a shoe as illustrated in Fig. 6; and.

Fig. 8 is a side view tion in which the support is of a greater depth than the heel. so that the device can be applied to the heel of a shoe whichis partly worn.

Referringto the drawings, 1 is ,a shoe having a sole 2.- 3'is the shank of the shoe, which is curved asv illustrated in Fig. 6. 4 represents my combined heel and arch su port, which, in the present instance, is ma 0 I The heel portion the longitudinal arch shoe, the edges will .are in the form of an showing a modifica-i gives a neat appearance of rubber, or a rubber composition, so that it is flexible and yields when pressure is applied to the shoe to which it is attached. 5 is shaped, as clearly shown in the drawings, shape of the finished heel of a shoe and has a central recess 6 of any shape desired. The edges 7 of the heel are slightly raised so that, when the heel is secured to a shoe, the edges will fit snugly against the outer sole thereof. Projecting from the forward end of the heel section is the arch support section 8 having the peculiar curve illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, port the arch properly. a

9 is the inside edge of a shoe. It will be noticed that the arch support 8 is close to this edge. The general support 8 transversely so that'it will suplocation of the arch of the shoe sole 2 p to conform to the and of the heel 5 is also to be noted: '1. e.,

that its center line lies to the inner side-of the center of the heel-5 adjacent the latter,.

and turns inward more and more toward the inner edge 9. Accordingly, the support 8 lies under the inner aspect of-the foot. as and internal cuneiform bones, with its forward end 13 behind the forward anchor of formed by the anterior metatarsal bone. This relahead of the first tion results from its own unconstrained configuration as molded,as will be seen by comparison of Figs. 1 and 2 with Fig. 7. Like those of the heel .5, the arch support are raised so that, when the support 8 is secured tov the shank of a fit snugly against the. 11 of the arch support 0. G. curve. This to the arch support 8 and carries the supporting tread surface 12 a, distance aw'ayfrom shoe; also, the support shank. The sides the shoe sole 2 and for receiving the weight from the sole 2, so as to minimize spreading ofthe support and to obviate ny bility of torsional or transverse distortion.

defined by the astragalus, scaphoid,

the edges 10 of the edge of the. 8 has a base'much. broader than its tread 12 for attachment to VVhen, therefore, pressure is applied to the tread surface 12 in walking, the arch support 8 is able to carry the weight firmly.

From Figs. 3 and 1 it'will be seen that as the device 1 is molded the upper surface or edge of the support 8 is substantially in the same plane as that of the heel 5 '(as indicated by the straight line :22), with the support tip or end slightly raised above such plane at 13. In applying the heel and arch support to a shoe, the support 8 is bent or resiliently flexed downward from the straight line a; so that its upper surface is curved to conform to the curve of the shoe shank 3 and its tread 12 is on a line with the tread of the ball and heel of the shoe, even when off the ground.

Such resilient flexure of the support 8 in accommodating the device 4 to a shoe causes the support to press upward and fit closely against,-or hug the shoe shank 3, and thus obviates any tendency for the support 8 to work away from the shank and catch on inequalities of the ground or other working surface. lhe support end or tip 13 being initially above the line or, as shown in Figs.

3 and 4, subsequently tends to hub the shoe sole 2 more closely, even, than the rest of the support 8. In order to allow the surface 12 to accommodate itself to'the bending action, a slot 14 is provided at the point where the arch support joins the heel.

In the present instance, holes 15 are shown that extend through imbedded washers 16 in the arch support 8'and the heel 5 for the securing nails, or other fastenings.

. to a used shoe whose heel has not been worn down very much, and it is not desired to remove the entire heel from the shoe.

It will be seen that my improved heel and arch support is flexible and yields under pressure, yet is sufficiently firm and substantial to support the arch of a foot under all conditions.

In some instances, the arch support may be made independent of the heel and W111 be flexed when applied to the shank of a shoe. f

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the arch .support 8 is so formed and located as to accommodate itself to the longitudinal and transverse curvatures of the foot. Being offset from the center sufficiently to lie under the. articulation of the scaphoid and the astragalus, 1t effectively supports this portion of the foot, where the greatest weight is brought to bear.

. (It is the displacement of the scaphoid from the center to lie-under and. supportfthe 1 people, and those subjected to excessive foot strains from long periods of standing or the like.) Its main body affords a maximum of resilient cushioning support to the scaphoid bone at the point of greatest curvature 7 and height of the arch, just infront of the heel 5; while at the same time its forward tapering front portion and the location of its end 13 in relation to the ball of the foot permit the transverse (metatarsal) arch to function properly. Supporting the longi-. tudinal arch under its inner aspect (defined by the astragalus, scaphoid, internal cuneiform, and first metatarsal bones), as already mentioned, it affects the transverse arch only 8 by sustaining'its inner side in normal position at the rear of the common anchorage ofthe longitudinal and transverse arches in the first metatarsal bone. Unlike support applied under the mid-portion of the trans- 8 verse arch (as defined by the middle cuneiformbone and the junctions of the scaph-. oid and astragalus with the cuboid bone), therefore, it has no distorting tendency of its own: e. g., it does not-lift the keystone of the transverse arch (so to speak) while leaving its sides or edges unsupported.

When pressure is applied to the tread or bearing surface 12 in walking, the wearers weight is firmly, evenly, and yieldingly supported from the ground; and the fatigue resulting from immobility of the muscles with relatively rigid or unyielding metal braces is avoided, Being itself universally yielding .and resiliently flexible, the device 4 as a whole does not render the shoe shank un yielding, but, on the contrary, permits it to accommodate itself freely to the foot and the ground.

a word, the device not only supports 1 the scaphoid properly under all conditions r and prevents the-foot bones generally from assuming abnormal positions such as give rise to the condition known as fallen arch, but also relieves and rectifies such conditions 1 previously existing, by pushing the movable bones into their proper places and keeping them there,,so as to aid the muscles and tendons in recovering their normal condition and tone. The exercise permitted the .1 muscles by the yieldingcharacter' of the. device appears-t'o be 'particularly-. beneficial in this regard.

Having thus described myc'invention, I claim v v 1. As an article of manufacture, a onepiece support of resilient rubber, comprising a heel portion and an arch supporting portion extending, whenthe device is applied to a shoe and by virtue of its own unconstrained configuration, from a point inside the middle of said heljportion forward under' the inner. aspect of the wearrs foot, with its bearing fsurface offset sufliciently articulation of the astra alus andthe scaphoid and substantially ush with the heel and the ball of the shoe, even when oil the ground, and with its forward end entirely 5 inside the middle of the shoe sole.

tion extending forward therefrom; said latter ortion having its upper surface substantially not below a straight line with that of the heel portion, so that saidportion requires downward flexure to accommodate the device to a shoe and is thereby caused to hug the shoe sole.

' i I FRANK H. CHASE. 

